Pakistan wear black armbands against Australia

Pakistan have taken to the field against Australia with black armbands in memory of former Pakistan international Akhtar Sarfaraz and former Test umpire Riazuddin, both of whom passed away earlier in the week.

The left-handed Sarfaraz, who passed away at the age of just 43, from Lower Dir played four ODIs for Pakistan in which he scored 66 runs.

He also played 118 First-class and 98 List A games and scored 5,720 and 2,636 runs in them respectively.

“The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is shocked to hear the sad news of Akhtar’s passing. It is very difficult to accept and comprehend if you lose someone from the cricket fraternity, particularly as young and lively as Akhtar who was admired, respected and loved by everyone,” PCB Chairman Ehsan Mani had stated in a press release.

The 60-year-old Riazuddin, meanwhile, passed away on Tuesday after suffering a cardiac arrest. He had featured in 12 ODIs and 12 Tests during his career.